The document summarizes a project where Year 10 students were divided into groups and tasked with setting up pop-up catering companies to produce and sell products for a profit. The goals were to provide experience in costing, production, marketing and sales while strengthening math and business skills. Feedback found most students enjoyed the activity but lacked financial literacy, overpaying for supplies and not understanding concepts like break-even points. While students said they learned skills like "making money", they struggled to explain specific lessons. Teachers saw slightly improved financial awareness in these students a year later and attribute this in part to the memorable experiential learning activity.

1. Westminster Snacks 4 Success - 28th June 2016
The purpose:
To provide Year10 studentswithareal life experienceof costing,making,marketingandsellinga
productin orderto make a profit. Alongside improvingthe Mathematical processingability,
financial andbusinessawarenessof students,thisprojectaimed tostrengthen the partnerships
betweenMathematicsandthe BusinessandInnovationFaculties.
The cohort:
Year 10 students,bothmale andfemale,includingindigenous andinternational students. All
studentshadelectedtostudyStage 1 SACE (SouthAustralianCertificate of Education) Essential
MathematicsinYear 11.
The activitywasdevisedtobe run as a standalone projectforstudentswhoare undertakingthe
SACE Stage 1 Essential Mathematicscourse inYear11. The projectwasan enrichmentactivityfor
the cohort.
Mathematical stands: Numeracy,scale,symmetry, geometry, financial mathematics,costing,profit,
loss,breakevenpoint,profit/losspercentages,money(includinghandlingmoneyandchange) and
measurement.
Cross Curricular links:Business,InformationTechnology,English,FoodTechnology andmodelling
Mathematicsinactionfor the Juniorand Middle Schools.
The activity:
Priorto the eventstudentswithinYear5,6 and10
https://www.slideshare.net/secret/vHalC40ZkF0iEI were invitedtoattendandaskedto bringmoney
to purchase the productsthat wouldbe made.
Overthe course of a 4.5 hour period the studentswere setataskto setup theirownpop-up
cateringcompany,produce a productand sell theirproductfora profit.
Studentswere workingingroupsof between4and 6, whichwere allocated bythe Mathematics
staff. The runningorderhttps://www.slideshare.net/secret/MycbwvFPoWMS0o wassharedwith
studentsandthe PowerPoint https://www.slideshare.net/secret/lm1x0GlLKNj03Mgave the
studentssome ideasof howtheycouldsetuptheirpopupbusiness.
The studentswere askedtoformulate abusinessmodelandthe designacompanyname and logo.
Each group sharedwiththe whole group.
Studentswere givenacostingsheet https://www.slideshare.net/secret/vHalC40ZkF0iEI fortheir
chosenproduct,whichhadreal costings of eachitem. The students completedthe costingsfortheir
choicesof product to see whichproducttheywouldlike tobuy. Thisalsoallowedthe studentstoset
the maximumbidforeach item theyrequire. Studentsthencalculated asellingprice foreach
product,inorder to make a profit. The studentswere allocatedabudgetof $50 perteam to
purchase the items.
The itemsneededwere brokenintothree sections,foodproducts,packagingandmarketstalls. A
Mathematicsteacherwasin charge of eachsection,actingas a small businessowner.

2. An auctioneerwas previously selectedwithinschool. The studentsbidonthe foodproducts
required. The studentswere givenopportunities torecalculate theircostingsbaseduponwhatthey
had paidfor theirfood. Thisgave the studentsanopportunitytosee supplyanddemandinaction.
The processwas repeatedforboththe packagingforproducts andthe marketstall equipment.
Once all the costingwere complete andbiddingwas concluded,studentmade theirproduct and
constructedthe packagingof the products.
Studentscompletedthe breakevenforthe numberof itemsthattheyneedtosell tobe able to
breakeven,basedonthe actual costs. In addition, the maximumprofittheycanmake includingthe
maximumprofitpercentagewascalculatedbasedonactual costs.
Studentswere giventhe opportunitytomake a30-second videoclipfortheirproduct,to gaina 5%
extraon anyprofitmade for the group.
The studentsthensetuptheirstallsandpreparedforthe youngerstudentstocome andpurchase
theirproducts. Asthe productsstarted to be sold,the studentswere amendingtheirpricingof their
productto ensure thattheycouldsell all products,evenatcost price.
Once the time for saleshadelapsedall studentsinvolvedinthe projectreturnedtocalculate their
total takingsand calculate the overall profit/lossfortheirteam. The teamsalsocalculatedthe net
profitmargin,toenable a comparisontobe made betweenteams.
A classdiscussionwasheldtocompare strategyanddecide onhow theycouldhave improvedtheir
teamsprofitmargin.
All profitswere donatedthe Science Walkof Fame.
Outcome:
Feedbackcollectedsuggestedthatthe majorityof studentenjoyedthe activity,however,duringthe
activity, the Mathematicsstaff reportedalackof financial literacyforall studentsinvolvedinthe
project. The studentsdidnothave the requiredskillstounderstandthe termsbreak-evenorprofit
margin. The studentsfoundsupplyanddemandchallengingandpaidtoomuchfor a product,as
theyhad decidedthatthatwas the productof choice. Thisdidnot allow studentstomake
reasonable financial decision,basedonlogicallyanalysinghow muchthe final productcouldbe sold
for. For one grouptheircup cakesneededtosell forjustover$4 eachin orderto break-even. The
groupswere shockedthatthe teamsmakingthe largestprofitmarginwere the groupswiththe
minimumspend,whichdidnotnecessarilyhave the bestproduct.
The groups startedto recognise supplyanddemandduringthe marketstage,astheyadjustedthe
pricesof theirgoodsso all itemswere sold. Mostteamsrealisedthatitwasbetterto sell the items
justabove cost,as the timingof the marketphase wascomingto an end. Most teamsalsorealised
that sellingitems ata lossat the veryendof the event,waspreferabletonotmakinga sale.
Feedbackfromthe studentswasextremelypositive forenjoyment. The studentsfeltthattheyhad
learnednewskillsduringthe project,butmostwere unable tospecificallyexplainexactlywhatskills
theyhad learnedorimproved. The mostpopularcommentrelatingtowhathad beenlearned
concerned,“makingmoney”,ratherthanthe actual learningof explicitskillsorideas.
Anecdotal evidence fromthe Year10 Mathematicsteacherof the studentsinvolvedstated,“the
studentsappearedtohave a deeperunderstandingof finance andprofitthanstudentsinthe past”.
Thiscannot be directlyrelatedtothe project,asdetailedevidence of priorunderstandingandpost

3. projectunderstandingwasnotcollected. In2018, these students now studyingYear11 Essential
Mathematics,appearto have a slightly improvedawarenessof financial literacy above whathas
beenseeninpreviousyears. The Facultyattributesthistothe projectassistingthe students to
rememberthe learningexperience,andpotentiallycontributing tothe improvedretentionof
knowledge aroundthisproject. Itison thisbasisthat we wishtoexpandandformalise this
experiential learningviathe grant.
AngelaPhillips